Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Angelic Conflict. Part 3. The two trials of Satan and the fallen angels, one pre-historic, one during human history.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
This chapter continues on the study of the angelic conflict from the standpoint of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in verses 1-15, and the ministry of God the Son in verses 16-33.
TLJC is anticipating the coming of the Church-age, the dispensation in which He is glorified at the right hand of God the Father, absent from the earth, the dispensation in which the intensification of the angelic conflict begins.
The Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict.
Point 1. Definition.
The angelic conflict is the result of the fall of all angelic creatures with more than one third ending up in opposition to God which began with the fall of Satan and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God.
“Did more than one third of the angels fall or did they ALL fall and some came back to Christ?”
because they are said to be ELECT.
The angels are called “holy angels” because God made them holy by providing for them a non-meritorious way to receive His righteousness, REV 15:4; REV 16:5.
REV 7:10-12 - resurrected believers praise the Lord for salvation and the angels join in by twice saying Amen, in which they concur, agree, express that they believe it.
In the Tribulation period, while angels bring divine judgment upon the earth, no angel is allowed to execute this judgment apart from Jesus Christ because He alone is worthy, REV 5:2-5.
COL 1:20 - Christ reconciled all things to Himself, things on earth and things in heaven.
The angelic conflict refers to the two trials of Satan and the fallen angels, one in prehistoric times, the other during human history.
“Has been prepared” - perf-mid-part - hetoimazo = to prepare, to make ready, to be ready.
1TI 5:21 - His chosen or elect angels,
Point 1. The angelic conflict is the result of the fall of all angelic creatures with more than one third ending up in opposition to God, which began with the fall of Satan and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God.
The trial phase begins with the fall of man in the garden and continues until the beginning of the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union.
Mankind was created and human history began in order to duplicate the conditions of the prehistoric angelic conflict.
The fall of man in the garden of Eden actually duplicates the fall of Satan in the garden of God, Eze 28.
Both falls occurred during perfect environment.
God created man as a rational creature lower than angels, duplicating on a reduced scale, the conditions of the prehistoric angelic conflict.
With the fall of Adam, Satan became the ruler of planet earth from which position Satan provides the defense in the historical appeal trial of all fallen angels; 2CO 4:4, he is the god of this world.
The courtroom is planet earth because planet earth was the same place the angelic conflict took place in before.
Eze 28 - at one time Satan led all the angels on planet earth in worship toward God.
The human race provides evidence, arguments, and precedents in the appeal trial whether winners or losers.
God entered His evidence by creating man just as the angels were created: innocent (or perfect) with the potential to love and worship God through right decisions and the potential to become imperfect by wrong decisions.
Satan had been created perfect and Adam was created in perfect.
The angels have free will; mankind has a free will.
Adam freely and deliberately chose to follow the pattern of arrogance with characterized Satan’s original revolution, ISA 14:12-14, 1TI 2:11-15.
The rebellion of Satan in the garden of God resulted in the fall of all angelic creatures, and the rebellion of Adam resulted in the fall of all mankind.